How did you get into Rugby?

Well its the off season... How did you get obsessed with this fine sport of ours? Do you still play?

stephen_n

Deleted User wrote: »

Well its the off season... How did you get obsessed with this fine sport of ours? Do you still play?

Started playing in second class, still playing 34 years later.

.ak

Started playing as a kid through school in third class, unfortunately our school isn't a very rugby orientated school (Sutton Park) and instead we concentrated on hockey. Played a bit with suttonians but, as I now regret, didn't keep at it through my late teens.

But I would say what really got my obsessed about it was watching Five Nations games on Saturday, going to the chipper and buying a bag of chips and running home to watch the game. My parents would usually be working on a Saturday, my sister wasn't into it and my bro would generally be playing some sport or another on a Saturday so I had the living room to myself and my chips and rugby! Since then I've been a bit obsessed.

Glad to get back playing as well as of last year - although I am for all intents and purposes a complete n00b now.

errlloyd

I think my dad watched a bit of it, not much and neither of my older brothers had played before me. I wanted to play sport but sucked bad at soccer. Joined DLSP under 10s, played till about u16s, quit it because I felt like it was becoming a lifestyle choice, not just a sport. During those years the celtic league began improving, and I began being able to watch it on TV every week.

Played in school as far as Js. I haven't played contact in a good few years, but I put together a tag team a few years ago as a way of keeping old non sporty mates together. I somehow got big into tag - like as big into tag as you can get (had the pleasure of being absolutely spanked playing the Australian national squad on Saturday). Thinking of playing Union again.

Larbre34

Played a bit of underage with the local club, early 90's, before hurling and tennis took over as they were played at school. My uncle took me to internationals in the 80s and 90s and though the results were poor, the occasions used to be fantastic. Summers were Croke Park with the Da.

Began going to Donnybrook in 2002 for some of the evening games as it was a great social thing for after work, and signed up for a first season ticket in 2004. (Leinster Lions anyone?!) The rest is history, but thinking about it, its amazing how far both Leinster and Ireland have come in just over a decade and what fantastic games and occasions there have been along the way.

As for my limpy self, I still play the summer tag season for as long as the knee holds out and help out with a few mates mini's coaching.

Swiwi.

It's NZ's national sport (!), wanted to play as soon as I could. But my Dad insisted I play a year of soccer first. Which I don't regret. Played till I was 16, then went down the vicarious route. Nowadays the spirit is willing but the body is weak.

Buer

Didn't go to a rugby school. Didn't play. Got into it through older siblings and followed it closely though. Played for a few years after school though with two different clubs but was wrecked with back and joint problems which culminated little point in even trying to play on. Played a little tag thereafter but the back prevents it now.

Swiwi.

Buer wrote: »

Didn't go to a rugby school. Didn't play. Got into it through older siblings and followed it closely though. Played for a few years after school though with two different clubs but was wrecked with back and joint problems which culminated little point in even trying to play on. Played a little tag thereafter but the back prevents it now.

Why do I have an image of a wizened but wise man, hunched over but hobbling about with a cane...?

Fireball07

Never played, when I was really really young (about 2, 3, 4); my father used to bring me to Shannon games and I guess it started there. I was around that age at the advent of the Heineken Cup and I would have gone to Munster pool games in Thomond Park.... I remember watching Ulster's HC final victory in a pub in west Limerick waiting for my parents to buy a car across the road; and then stuff like Munster's great HC rup in 1999/2000, the 1999 World Cup (Australia-USA in Thomond Park), Diego Albanese's try to knock Ireland out, that epic France-NZ game...


well and truly hooked I became.


Never played, bar at a very young age. Played tag a bit. Was never great at any of them.

The Lost Sheep

Played from u6/7s in Dublin. Would have been attending games from before that. AIL/Provincial games when there was few at them in mid to late 90s.
Parents/Uncles would have been majorly involved in different clubs around the country with an uncle even helping set up a club in 80s.

Hagz

School, played since I was 8. Stopped playing a couple of years ago when I broke my collarbone. I'll probably get back into it either this year or the next.

Didn't really care for watching it until Ireland won the grandslam, then I hopped on the bandwagon.

sydthebeat

Midlands based, I played u14, 16 and a few u18 before college... which resulted in me dropping all sport (played gaa and soccer as well).. actually deteriorating eyesight accounted for this as well.
Got back into the local club through my kids playing, daughter played up to u18s, eldest son played all through minis and youths and will be u19 and seconds senior next year. Middle sons u11 this year and will be his 5th year playing.
This year will be my third year coaching leprechauns as well.

As a fan I've always had rugby as my favorite sport... can still remember watching the Ireland 5n games in the 80's with my granddad cursing and sitting at the tv during games.

Maybe ill go back and play Some seConds this year (j4 I think) as one final hurrah now that they actually make contacts for my eyes. Id get butchered but feck it....

Tox56

Always played as a kid, wanted BODs blonde highlights but was never allowed get them. Devastating. (at the time..)

Swiwi.

Tox56 wrote: »

Always played as a kid, wanted BODs blonde highlights but was never allowed get them. Devastating. (at the time..)

Blonde highlights. (An earring too :o:o)

Yeah, been there done that.

Buer

Swiwi. wrote: »

Why do I have an image of a wizened but wise man, hunched over but hobbling about with a cane...?

Nah. Picture a 30 year old, hunched over but hobbling about with a cane!

Rightwing

School & AIL.

Zzippy

GAA background so never played rugby, played football and hurling from u-10, gave up the football after u-21 but played hurling at club level into my 30s until injuries caught up with me (and I was too slow to keep up with the young lads!).
Always watched rugby on tv and would have been a big fan, but didn't start going to games til I moved to Galway about 10 years ago, got hooked and became a season ticket holder pretty soon thereafter. Set up a tag team in 08 with a mate and met the missus so rugby has been pretty good to me

jacothelad

Deleted User wrote: »

Well its the off season... How did you get obsessed with this fine sport of ours? Do you still play?

My father took me to Lansdowne Road in January 1957 to see Ireland v. France. I was 8. Ireland won. The backline was awesome. Jack Kyle. Tony O'Reilly. Ceceil Pedlow. Niall Brophy (I think) Can't remember the others. Mulligan at s.h. and Noel henderson in the centre ??????maybe. I was hooked. Bill Mulcahy was the captain. Great player indeed. I attended M.C.B. which helped of course.

mfceiling

School in Northern Ireland.

Was part of an U14 team that won all 17 games that year under the guidance of David McMaster who went on to coach Ulster...the man was so far ahead in his coaching ideas that we had moves and techniques that made us very good...as well as some very gifted players (another poster here was on that team also) - we had a playing pool of approx 70 - 80 boys yet we hammered nearly every team we played - closest game was 6 - 0 to us. RBAI sticks in my mind 41 - 0 we won!!

Old 5N games always ended in disappointment. Went to Oz in 1999 and managed to get to see a few NSW Warraths games - even got to see the mighty Jonah Lomu play in the flesh ( he was sent off!! ).

There really is no better game for me - even a bad game can be a good game!!

Buer

jacothelad wrote: »

My father took me to Lansdowne Road in January 1957 to see Ireland v. France. I was 8. Ireland won. The backline was awesome. Jack Kyle. Tony O'Reilly. Ceceil Pedlow. Niall Brophy (I think) Can't remember the others. Mulligan at s.h. and Noel henderson in the centre ??????maybe. I was hooked. Bill Mulcahy was the captain. Great player indeed. I attended M.C.B. which helped of course.

P.J. BERKERY
A.J.F. O’REILLY
N.J. HENDERSON
A.C. PEDLOW
N.H. BROPHY
J.W. KYLE
A.A. MULLIGAN
P.J. O’DONOGHUE
R. ROE
B.G.M. WOOD
T.E. REID
J.R. BRADY
H.S. O’CONNOR
P.J.A. O’SULLIVAN
J.R. KAVANAGH

Swiwi.

mfceiling wrote: »

School in Northern Ireland.

Was part of an U14 team that won all 17 games that year under the guidance of David McMaster who went on to coach Ulster...the man was so far ahead in his coaching ideas that we had moves and techniques that made us very good...as well as some very gifted players (another poster here was on that team also) - we had a playing pool of approx 70 - 80 boys yet we hammered nearly every team we played - closest game was 6 - 0 to us. RBAI sticks in my mind 41 - 0 we won!!

Old 5N games always ended in disappointment. Went to Oz in 1999 and managed to get to see a few NSW Warraths games - even got to see the mighty Jonah Lomu play in the flesh ( he was sent off!! ).

There really is no better game for me - even a bad game can be a good game!!

Remember that. Lomu got 2 YCs, one was for a deliberate slap down and I forget the other.

Dravokivich

Played once when I was 13, didnt really know what I was doing but got away with what'd be considered a questionable tackle. Didnt really start watching until the 6nations match against scotland in '08. Progressively over the next couple of years I went from watching the national team to becoming interested in the provinces as well. Some may call ot jumping on the bandwagon, but id argue that the exposure rugby got more so than the successes munster/leinster were building on around that peroid kindled the interest.

Initially a lot of it was the physicality of the sport. Over the last couple of years ive finally been getting grips around recognising the tactics.

Morf

I remember watching old 5N games and hoping Simon Geoghegan would get the ball.

Started watching Leinster on TnaG and fell in love with the style of rugby. Never really took to those down south during their success.

Played a bit of contact a few years back but there was never really a 3rd team and when a 3rds match was played it was 2nds dropping down. Hard to learn basics etc.. Played in forwards.

Now down to a svelte ~90kg I'm seriously considering giving it a go with the fake-tan applying posers in the backs. Provided I can add some muscle and pick up a lot of basics off my own bat (not really an option training with 1sts/2nds).

I've been playing tag about 4 Summers now too.

Funk It

Coming from a big GAA household which was sports mad, I remember watching the 5N's each year (think I cried after Scotland beat us once). My friend getting Jonah Lomu rugby spurned me on even more to play. Luckily enough my father knew a rugby coach who used to pick me up every Saturday for training and I bloody loved it.

Will never forget my intro to my childhood club, this coach told all the first team players that he stole me from our local rivals, so they all very kindly put their hands in their pockets and bought me a heap of gear from the club shop.

Funk It

God damn phone, unsure why all of the duplicate posts, can someone please delete.

Funk It

.

projectgtr

When I was younger all I would hear off my mam , was how good my family doctors son was at rugby , I had never seen a match at that time, decided to watch one of his televized matches and was hooked from there, I just can't look at soccer in the any more. He has retired from club and international rugby just recently, what a time to get into rugby.

Sanjuro

Went to a rugby school. Leo and BOD were two years ahead of me. Hated it at the time as I was forced to play by the school and a rugby dad. I was a fat forward who wanted to be a fast back and whenever the ball came to me, I kicked it straight into touch. I really, really wasn't into it. And then when I left school, I began to see how good the game could actually be in terms of both tactics and physicality. My favourite part of the game now is the forwards play. My big regret is not seeing that when I was younger and enjoying playing more. Love the game now.

former legend

Went to a non-rugby school but one teacher tried valiantly to get a team going, I went out and he thought I'd make a decent hooker, he was wrong. That's about all I have to say about my playing career.

Got into watching the game as a youngster when my dad would be going to 6N games and occasionally there'd be a spare ticket floating around, then getting schoolboy tickets through the school, then professionalism and Leinster arrived on the scene. More than 20 years later, four world cups, five Heineken cup finals, away trips to all Six Nations venues and even a few jaunts to Limerick, it's been awesome but I'd shudder to think how much I've spent following rugby.

mfceiling

Swiwi. wrote: »

Remember that. Lomu got 2 YCs, one was for a deliberate slap down and I forget the other.

High tackle...he got caught in 2 minds and clothes lined the poor fecker in front of him!!

razorblunt

Fat child, useless at soccer and hurling, hate football. Family doctor was a rugby man and suggested I go out and try it. 2 clubs across the way from my grandmothers (easy to wait for a lift home there on weekends). One club was closed that day, the other was open as the seniors were starting pre season. Come out next Saturday, we'll stick him in the u-10s they said ... "what? He's 7!" comes my Dads reply.

Played there for years, was always lazy and never bothered my arse with tackles, did my knee when I was 17 and resolved to give it a hell of a go, trimmed down, threw myself into tackles, moved to the backrow ... did my knee again.

Played off and on in Uni, lined out a few times when they were stuck but never had confidence in the knee.

Trimmed down to about 100kg now and fit as a fiddle seriously considering giving it a go one last time. Been offered run out with clubs here, got the knee checked out ... no dice.

One of my biggest regrets was not making the most of those injury free years.

Losty Dublin

Always watched the game as a young lad but unaware of the concept of children actually playing rugby in a club, I only got to play the game from post primary. Once there I gave my rather little all on the field in the pack and a few runs at first centre before settling down at Lock after somebody gave me the number 8 off their handmedown shirt. No joke, thats what happened. I played schools until 1994 culminating with the dizzy heights of a section A pennant runners up medal and pride in scoring tries away to Wilsons, Kilkenny and in Anglesea Road; I think we played St. Michaels there.

One day in 1993,I was asked to run the line and I got the grá to referee and coach, starting off with water bottle carrying on; we stole them from St. Andrews after a controversial game when they beat our 14 man team by 2 points

Todd Toddington III

Never played the game, being from the gaa stronghold that is south carlow growing up nestled between the wexford and kilkenny borders hurling was the only game in town. Started to watch more and more games as I slowly fell out of love with football, I think the grossly inflated wages and primadona/diving culture taking hold (plus my beloved leeds falling apart ) were the final nails in the coffin for me. Love the physical nature to rugby which I can only compare to my time playing wing back for my home club as a kid (mount leinster rangers abu, leinster champs!!). I suppose munsters fairytale search for the holy grail sticks with me as my earliest memories of the game, drawing me in before culminating obviously in leinster finally becoming European champs.

pappyodaniel

It was during the 1991 World Cup. Rugby was never really played in my area up until then. It had that same reason where when Wimbledon was on and we'd suddenly all be playing Tennis, same with Golf during the Ryder Cup, rugby was a passing fad in the estate but I absolutely loved it. Myself and another guy joined the local rugby team soon after. Played all the way up from U12s to Junior rugby up until I was about 24. No devastating career ending injury, I just came to the conclusion that at 5'7" and weighing in under 11 stone I wasn't gonna make it. I loved the physicality but I was just getting killed every week and being barely able to walk to work for a few days after a game just took it's toll.
C'est la vie.

thebaz

started out with soccer - at 12 moved to a Dublin rugby school - played both up to jct , when i had to choose - picked rugby - didn't get on with the sct coach and got dropped in 5th year and just gave it up - took it up abroad for a few years later, played a little in dublin , body was getting ravaged , retired to football , still playing, even with arthritic knee

Heroditas

Went to a rugby school and played it from second class right the way through. Lost all interest in the sport after I left school for the guts of a decade (bar watching the 5N and RWC) and then got right back into it in 2000 before being cajoled back out onto the pitch by mates in 2004. Played for another few years but injuries etc just sucked the fun out of it as as I couldn't afford to be crocked, retired again.
Now still involved as a committee man/blazer.

GiftofGab

Started playing in school...started watching it too. Got into it when I seen Jonah Lomu play. I used to get up early on a Saturday to watch the Hurricanes play in the super 12's. The team had Lomu, Wilson, Cullen and Umaga playing some great rugby.

I gave up playing and was thinking of starting again then I got introduced to a club in Dublin in the same grounds where I played in school.

19543261

Only been watching for 3 years or so. Played hockey in school, and no big followers among friends or family. Definitely dont have a rugby brain, a lot of the game still escapes me, but enjoy it all the same.

salmocab

errlloyd wrote: »

I think my dad watched a bit of it, not much and neither of my older brothers had played before me. I wanted to play sport but sucked bad at soccer. Joined DLSP under 10s, played till about u16s, quit it because I felt like it was becoming a lifestyle choice, not just a sport. During those years the celtic league began improving, and I began being able to watch it on TV every week.

Played in school as far as Js. I haven't played contact in a good few years, but I put together a tag team a few years ago as a way of keeping old non sporty mates together. I somehow got big into tag - like as big into tag as you can get (had the pleasure of being absolutely spanked playing the Australian national squad on Saturday). Thinking of playing Union again.

Back up to Salmo with you so

Heroditas

GiftofGab wrote: »

Started playing in school...started watching it too. Got into it when I seen Jonah Lomu play. I used to get up early on a Saturday to watch the Hurricanes play in the super 12's. The team had Lomu, Wilson, Cullen and Umaga playing some great rugby.

I gave up playing and was thinking of starting again then I got introduced to a club in Dublin in the same grounds where I played in school.

CUS/Stillorgan?

Winters

I began playing underage rugby at St. Michael's College but never really took to it or enjoyed it that much. I was never involved in Suttonians my then local club but remember playing there when their main pitch was sunken.

I then took up soccer and football and came back to rugby when I returned to Ireland from Uni. I first played tag rugby back in 2000 in St. Mary's and then got cajoled into joining my now local club Malahide in 2006/2007 sometime.

I took to it straight away and have been hooked since. Now slowly winding down from the highs of playing for the firsts to last season's unbeaten league campaign in Metro 9 with the Thirsty Thirds. With our first baby on the way I'm contemplating retirement but think I've another season left in me.

Just like a previous poster, sanjoro, I regret not falling in love with it at an earlier age.

Also, I can barely bring myself to look at any other sports these days. I especially enjoy the amateur ethos that rugby has and hope that rugby never loses that.

Heroditas

Winters wrote: »

With our first baby on the way I'm contemplating retirement but think I've another season left in me.

You'll retire when Broph says you can! :P

astonaidan

How I started watching rugby was NZ were playing Ireland and doing the haka, took my breath away was about 8 at the time, never really played in school, we had to choose between soccer and rugby so went with soccer(regret it) was 25 in our local with the second row off the rugby team and the coach was a bouncer there, in the middle off dancing picked up my friend on my shoulder and on the way out coach told me to be at the pitch tomorrow for a seconds game,picked a seconds game over a semi final in soccer, best decision of my life

Judgement Day

Went to two rugby schools and started playing in 1967 - we were forced to play soccer our first year - and being a small school were fairly routinely beaten. Secondary school (St.Columba's) there were too many distractions and I played no sport at all until my last year - then I got the call and one glorious year of rugby (usually losing) which saw me progress from the 3rds to the 1sts. After school I didn't fancy getting beaten up every weekend by very large farmers so I just kept up the social side...:D

Deliverance XXV

Never played (Soccer/Hurling county and bringing up) but was always patriotic and always supported whenever Ireland or an Irish team took to any competition (even International Rules ) - I loved the raw passion and attitude of the players, so I kept watching, started to follow the provinces, began to learn and understand the rules and inevitably love the sport.

crisco10

Was a soccer player as a kid, joining my local club age 5.

Then went to rugby playing secondary school. Kept up both until it became clear I was going to make the JCT so I gave up the soccer to commit to rugby. Did the schools rugby thing until Leaving Cert then gave up....I had completely fallen out of love with playing the game. Was asked to join a few clubs from school but had no interest. Schools rugby had just worn me down. (I wasn't at all alone in this feeling, which is a whole other debate)

Kept fit by playing Leinster Senior League soccer from then, and only rugby I play now is social tag. Tag is great fun but I don't think I could go back to playing "proper" rugby. Not least because my physique has regressed back to a very wirey build with no weights work.

Absolutely obsessed as a sofa fan though; Leinster Season ticket holder since 2006, but remember going to Donnybrook from about 1998 onward..

GiftofGab

Heroditas wrote: »

CUS/Stillorgan?

Yeah. How did you know that?

Heroditas

GiftofGab wrote: »

Yeah. How did you know that?

Ah to be fair, I couldn't think of many clubs that share pitches with schools and Stillorgan seemed likely.

I went to rugby secondary school where we were all forced to play in first year. I thought it was alright. It was my first exposure to a proper structured team sport. I wasn't used to that at all. I had competed in athletics for a club my whole life where there was no focus on team. I gave up rugby come winter because fcuk training sessions in the dark and cold. I would take up again every year and give it up again come winter. I enjoyed playing but couldn't be bothered with training at all. I eventually found a home in 5th year at 3rd rugby level where it was just a match at the weekend with a flimsy training session (mock match) thrown in during the week. I dabbled once or twice since school with some clubs but couldn't stick to it. Shameful really. I've played tag rugby solidly since then as its far more relaxed.

This whole time I had no interest whatsoever in any spectator sport. Why would you watch when you could play? That was my attitude. Watching rugby and football was akin to watching paint dry. We used to get half days in school for the JCT and SCT matches so we could watch them play, I would go straight home. I really didn't give a ****. Well one year my father got two season tickets for leinster. I thought that was strange as he never took any interest in rugby. I've learnt since it was all a plan to get closer to me since we were barely on speaking terms at the time. He would take me down, feed me with pints and give me a bit of money to head off into town. Win-win situation really, except I didn't have a fcuking clue about rugby. I kinda knew who that Brian O'Driscoll guy was but that was about it.

Fast forward almost a decade later, I'm a massive rugby fan from literally forced viewings of Leinster. I know the whole team down to the B&I players. I've even adopted a super 15 team to keep myself sane during the off season. The best thing about it though is myself and my father have never been closer after fabricating this hobby between us.

CatFromHue

I started secondary school with an injury so missed the first few sports introductions.

When I got over the injury I went to my first rugby training session and we played a game. During the game the ball dropped in front of me, I picked it up, some very big lad came running and me and I ran away as fast as I could. Seemingly I ran the "right way" away from him........

freyners

Started playing when I was about ten, came from a big GAA area and was utterly ****e at both codes at it so my interest in sports was waning as I already had no interest in soccer. Parents got me into it (despite neither having anything to do with it) so I would remain active, a year later was utterly hooked and went to the nearest rugby school to me rather than the school all my primary school mates went. Had to give it up for about 2 years for injuries/study but back in pre season now and loving it